


The more you say, the less I know

by Forthenightisdarkandfullofterror



Series: 30 spiderling whump dump prompts x [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Precious Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Precious Peter Parker, Protective Pepper Potts, Temporary Amnesia, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, thats the only tag i need
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-28 10:08:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30137934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Forthenightisdarkandfullofterror/pseuds/Forthenightisdarkandfullofterror
Summary: Peter imagined what Tony's first words would be when he woke from his coma. He supposed he'd be shocked by the lack of arm, or maybe he'd just be grateful he survived. Maybe he'd come out with a witty one liner about saving the world single-handedly.He never imagined it being 'who are you?'orTony wakes up from snapping with amnesia. As his memories begin to return he becomes more and more confused about the kid hanging around claiming to be 'just an intern'. Who is he and why can't he remember a thing about him?
Relationships: Peter Parker & Pepper Potts & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe) & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: 30 spiderling whump dump prompts x [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2205729
Comments: 32
Kudos: 113





	The more you say, the less I know

**Author's Note:**

> Hi friends I'm back!  
> A round of applause to @johtowo giving me the idea for this fic (Im such a sucker for a good prompt XD)  
> Im also incapable of a single chapter fic apparently so expect another two parter to keep the suspense x  
> Happy reading :))

Peter imagined Tony waking up a lot. He tried to imagine what his first words would be, who they would be for.

He expected them to be for Pepper, perhaps Morgan. Maybe something along the lines of ‘you missed me?’ or ‘Hey, I saved the world single-handedly.’ Something stupidly witty for someone that had woken up from a month-long coma.

For a while Peter was worried he’d wake up and be confused why Peter was there with his family. A few times he tried to suggest to Pepper he visit less frequently but she shot him down every time. “No, Peter. He’s been wanting you here for five years. He wants you here, trust me.”

That settled Peter’s anxiety for a while. Still, he was nervous.

For Peter it had been no time at all, a blink of an eye and a battle of a lifetime. For Tony it was five years. Five years building a life for his new family and moving on. It made him wonder if he should stay. Surely, he’d just want his family there.

Either way, Peter was there when Tony graced them with consciousness finally.

It was like any other day for the past month and however many days. Pepper was reading to Morgan, Peter listening to music, trying to do some schoolwork he’d been forced into as ‘catch up’.

Peter noticed first. His enhanced hearing instantly recognising the change in Tony’s heartbeat. The increase in breaths.

“Mr Stark?” Peter asked uncertainly, leaning forward in his chair.

“Tony?” Pepper followed, reaching forward for Tony’s remaining hand.

And sure enough, he opened his eyes, albeit for a short second before snapping them closed again.

“Friday, dim the lights.” Pepper quickly ordered.

Tony then tried again, much more successfully this time, squinting as he took in the figures around him.

Something seemed off. He didn’t seem happy, which could be because he was in pain, or simply tired but Peter feared it ran deeper. He looked confused. Not just ‘ _where am I’_ it was –

“Who are you?”

Pepper’s breath caught in her chest. “Tony?”

“You’re Tony?”

“No, no. You’re Tony. I’m Pepper.”

Tony frowned. “That’s an odd name.”

“It’s my middle name.”

“Where am I?”

“New York medical.” Pepper responded evenly, quickly pressing the alert for Doctor Cho installed by Tony’s bed.

“What happened? Do I know you?”

“I-I’m your wife, Tony.”

Tony blinked and smiled. “Well, I’m a lucky guy. You’re quite something.”

Pepper blushed.

Peter sat frozen, mouth agape. He hadn’t realised he’d been holding his breath since the moment Tony spoke, but it felt like he’d lost the ability to release it. Tony had amnesia. Amnesia severe enough that he didn’t know his own name, let alone his family. He couldn’t help but selfishly wonder where that left Peter.

Luckily, Helen arrived before Tony could question them anymore.

“Helen, he can’t remember anything.” Pepper explained with a twine of desperation.

“That’s okay, Pepper. Remember, I did say that this was a possibility. It’s very likely to be temporary. But on the good news, you’re awake. How are you feeling, Tony?”

“I-I’m confused. Why can’t I remember anything?”

Helen looked hesitant. “There was a fight, you suffered very serious wounds, but I have every hope your memories will come back naturally.”

“I was in a fight?”

“It was a big fight. We won, thanks to you.” Helen said simply, clearly not want to delve into the details.

Tony nodded, looking conflicted.

“What do we do in the meantime?” Pepper asked, stroking a very quiet Morgan. She looked scared.

“Well, we’ll monitor Tony for the next few days. If everything continues to look positive, we can discharge him. His memories might not come back fully for a while, but you shouldn’t be too concerned. Just be careful not to say anything to trigger his memory too much, it might do more harm than good.”

Pepper nodded.

“Who’s the kid?”

Peter looked up and realised he didn’t mean him.

Tony was looking at Morgan.

“This is Morgan, our daughter.”

For a second Tony smiled at the girl, but the happiness quickly dissolved into despair. “God, I can’t even remember my own kid. My own _family_.”

“Its okay, hon. It’s not your fault. We’re just glad you’re awake.”

“I’m sorry I can’t remember you. How long was I out?”

“Just over a month.”

Was that it? it felt like a lifetime to Peter.

“And who are you?” Tony turned to Peter, looking him up and down. “Don’t tell me I’ve got another kid I can’t remember.”

Tony’s words hit like a punch to the gut. “N-no. I’m Peter. Peter Parker. I-ugh intern for you.”

Pepper shot him a confused look.

What else was he supposed to say? Friend didn’t seem to fit, nor did mentee, and what did that leave him with?

“Thank god. I feel bad enough already.”

Peter tried not to let the words sting.

“No offence, ugh – Peter, was it? if you’re an intern should you be here?”

Peter blinked. “Oh I ugh, can go-“

“No.” Pepper said sternly. “Peter’s your personal intern. You recruited him yourself.”

Tony nodded, considering the teen. “Well, I appreciate the concern, but I feel like right now I need to be with my family. It’s hard enough as it is.”

Peter nodded, feeling his eyes welling up. “Hope you get better soon, sir.”

“Peter-“ He heard Pepper start but he didn’t wait for her to finish. He had to get out of there.

He wanted to be with his family and that wasn’t him.

He stumbled down the corridor with a sudden urge for fresh air. He couldn’t breathe, it felt like there was lead in lungs, burning him from the inside.

He could hardly see where he was going, vision blurred with burning tears that streamed down his face. He kept bumping into walls and at one collided with a corner.

He gave up trying to save his balance, letting his back slide down the wall until he could wrap his knees in his arms and sob into them.

Of all the things Peter expected when Tony woke up, this wasn’t one of them. This was a nightmare. Tony didn’t want him there. He wanted his family. His family he couldn’t remember. He didn’t want Peter the random teenage intern.

“Peter?”

Peter almost ignored the call, not sure if he wanted to face the owner of the voice.

Then there was a hand on his shoulder, making him look up.

“Peter, what happened? What’s wrong?” Happy asked, unsure how to handle the crying kid.

Peter shook his head and cried harder.

“Hey, hey, its okay.” Happy said softly, kneeling next to the teen so he could rest both hands on his shoulders. “Talk to me kid. What happened? Is it Tony?”

Peter nodded, trying – unsuccessfully – to control his breathing.

“Did he wake up?”

Another nod.

“Is he okay?”

Peter shook his head. “H-he can’t r-remember a-anyone.”

“Shit, kid.”

“H-he did-didn’t w-want me the-there.” Peter cried, hiccupping every other word.

“Aw kid I’m so sorry. I’m sure he’s just confused. Helen will fix it.”

Peter nodded.

“Why don’t we head back there?”

“No. N-no. He said he only w-wants to see his fa-family.”

“But you are family, Pete. You know that, Tony doesn’t give a shit about genetics.”

Peter shook his head, letting it fall back onto his knees. “’M just a-an intern.”

“Is that what you told him?”

“’S the truth.” Peter whispered.

“No it isn’t you’re-“

“I’m what? Spiderman? S-some kid he recruited from Queens?”

“You’re more than that and you know it. you mean so much to him, kid.”

Peter shook his head. “’M just an intern.” He finally got to his feet, brushing himself off slightly.

“Where are you going?”

“Home.”

“Don’t do that, Peter. He needs you.”

Peter shook his head. Tony didn’t need him. Peter needed him, but Tony didn’t reciprocate. At least not anymore. “May will be wondering where I am.” He managed, before turning and running out the hospital.

* * *

Peter took the long route home if it could be called that. he just walked down random streets, circling around blocks a few times. He wasn’t really thinking where he was going, just with the vague knowledge that Tony didn’t want him, and he needed to go home.

Half an hour into his aimless wanders his phone chimed.

He quickly pulled it out, receiving another notification immediately after the first, and another directly after that.

Pepper: Peter, are you okay?

Pepper: He didn’t mean it, hon.

Pepper: Why don’t you stop by after school tomorrow?

Peter blinked down at the screen, trying to hold back the brimming tears in his eyes.

He did mean it. He might not have all his memories back, but it was true. He was just an intern; he had no right to be there.

He eventually replied, shooting back a neutral _‘busy, lots of homework’_. It wasn’t a lie. He had lots of homework, but Peter always prioritised seeing Tony. But not now, if Tony didn’t want him there then Peter wouldn’t go. Simple.

* * *

It was another day before he heard from Pepper – or anyone – again.

He was sat at his desk like he had been since he got home from school. He was pretty sure he hadn’t spoken a word all day, he could tell Ned and MJ were worried. May would be too if she weren’t working, but he couldn’t help the bone deep ache that wracked his body that set in the second he left the hospital.

It was like his world had stopped spinning the moment he heard _‘who are you’_.

He was staring at the work he was unable to focus on when his phone started buzzing with Pepper’s icon flashing up at him.

Sighing, he accepted the call.

“Peter?”

“Hi Pepper.”

“How are you, hon?”

“Fine, doing homework.”

“Peter. I’m sorry for what he said the other day. He’s just confused. You know he loves you.”

He doesn’t love him, though. He’s an intern, some kid he felt responsible for after recruiting him to fight his battles. “I know.”

“His memories are coming back. He remembers Happy.”

That made sense, Peter thought. Tony had known Happy the best part of his entire life. the man was always there with him. besides Pepper, Peter knew it’d be Happy he remembered first.

“If you’re not too busy you should come by, Happy can get you from your aunts.”

“Does he want to see me?”

“He doesn’t know what he wants right now, hon. But I know he’d want you here if he was in his right mind. He needs you, Peter.”

 _He doesn’t._ “Okay.”

“Great, Happy’s outside. I’ll see you soon.”

The call cut off before Peter could protest, looking out his window to find the very recognisable Audi Happy drove.

* * *

“It’s weird, he remembered me but not all the things we did together. Like he knows my I have a cousin once removed called Evan and I hate sushi, but he can’t remember the holiday we took to Hawaii three years ago.” Happy explained, walking through the corridors with a slight spring in his step.

Peter nodded, plodding behind wishing he were going anywhere but Mr Stark’s hospital room.

“I’ll wait out here. Give you guys a moment.”

Peter wished he’d go in with him, almost acting as support but he just nodded and entered the private room.

Pepper was first to greet him, moving from the bed to hug him lightly. “Hey Peter.”

“Hi.”

“Petey! Look at the drawing I did!” Morgan cried, thrusting a colouring book into Peter’s hands.

Morgan and Peter had become quite close through the hours they’d spent together waiting for Tony to wake up. She knew he was spider-man from the stories Tony had told her in the five years he was gone. She even called Peter her big brother at one point, throwing the teen into the verge of a panic attack.

He had no idea Morgan viewed him that way, and at first, he feared he’d overstepped a boundary, but Pepper assured him it was okay. That of course he was part of the family and Morgan’s brother, if he wanted to be.

From then he looked forward to seeing Morgan. He’d read to her, play dolls with her, he even let her dress him like a princess and play with his hair. He wasn’t too fond of the latter, the clips and tiny bobbles pulled at his curls, but it made Morgan so happy he couldn’t find himself to say no.

“Wow, Morgs, you did these all by yourself?”

“Yep!”

“You’re getting so good! You’ll be an artist in no time.”

“I don’t want to be an artist; I want to be an astronaut!”

Peter smiled. “I know Morgs.”

Peter looked up, noticing Tony watching him. “Um, hi. Hope its okay I’m here.”

“Its okay, little miss seems happy so that’s enough for me.”

“I was actually going to take her to the cafeteria, get some dinner, if that’s okay? We’ll be back soon.” Pepper said, giving Peter a quick squeeze on his shoulder. _I’ll give you two some space_ , it spoke.

Peter didn’t want them to go, what were they supposed to do? What were they meant to say to each other? But before Peter could stop them, they were gone.

Hesitantly, he moved around the bed, perching on the edge of the seat Pepper had been in. “How- uh, how are you?”

“Fine, apart from my lack of arm and memory.”

“Will you design a new one?”

“Yeah. I looked over the blueprints of the metal arm guy – James? It look replicable.”

“That’s good.”

“So… you help me build stuff?”

“Yeah, I, uh, used to help in your lab a few times a week.”

“what did we work on?”

“Suits and stuff.” Peter replied, not sure how ambiguous to keep it.

“You mean the Iron Man suits?”

“You know?”

“That I’m Iron Man? Yeah. I remembered yesterday vaguely.”

“Oh, tha-that’s good.”

Tony nodded, taking the information in. “So, you blipped? Pepper explained what happened, the world almost ending and all.”

“Y-yeah. I blipped.”

Tony gave him a pitiful smile. “Must be hard for you.”

Peter nodded. _you have no idea._

“So, what else did you do in your internship?”

“Whatever you wanted me to do, we’d design stuff, work on nano tech, and sometimes we’d just sorta’ hang out.”

“Hang out?”

“Like watch a movie or get takeout and stuff.”

Tony frowned. “That doesn’t sound very intern-y.”

Peter shrugged. “It was fun.”

“Do I do that with all the interns?”

“N-no, but I’m your only personal intern.” Peter explained nervously. It felt more like an interrogation than a conversation.

Tony didn’t say anything, staring at him with such intensity it felt like he was trying to burn holes through him.

“W-what? What’s wrong?”

Tony shook his head, almost looking angry. “I just – I don’t get it.”

Peter flashed his eyes round the room nervously. God what the hell was he supposed to say? “Get what? The internship?”

“You. I don’t get you.”

Oh.

Peter wasn’t sure how to respond. did he not like him? Maybe Peter was coming off rude. Had he said something wrong? Maybe he was sat in a defensive form. “I-I’m Peter. I’m from Queens, we met when I was fifteen and-“

“I know that.” Tony said sharply. “I know. Pepper told me. I recruited you when you were fifteen. You go to Midtown school of science and technology. I just- I can’t put my finger on it. it just feels wrong.”

“Me being here?”

“I don’t know. Yes?”

“I-I can go.” Peter offered quickly.

“Do you want to?”

Peter shrugged, trying his best not to cry. “Do you want me to stay?”

“I don’t know if I do. I’m sorry.”

“No, no its okay. I probably shouldn’t have come. It was a mistake. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologise… It’s just hard to be around you right now.”

Peter nodded, turning away. he couldn’t let Tony see him cry. “I’m sorry.”

Tony sighed, clearly frustrated. “Give me some time okay? The doctors say spending time with friends and family will help me remember, so maybe just wait until I can remember them, and I’ll get Pepper to call you.”

Peter nodded again, still facing the wall. “Okay.” He rasped out, stumbling quickly towards the door and leaving without looking back.

That was it.

That was goodbye.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi Im Grace and I eat angst for breakfast lunch and dinner x  
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter? (I wrote it in the space of like 12 hours so apologies if its slightly average)  
> Plz do let me know what you think so far, your comments give me so much life <3  
> I love u 3000, I'll be back soon with an update :)


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